How to Hit a Golf Ball Out of the Rough, Downhill Bunker, Trees, or Water at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, NY

How to Hit a Golf Ball Out of the Rough, Downhill Bunker, Trees, or Water at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Fairways and greens are a nice strategy, but most of us play from more troublesome lies. Here’s how to save your round when you’re not in the short grass

By Dave Donelson

Published: 05/11/2012

(page 3 of 5)

Downhill bunker

Whatever you do, don’t try any hero stuff if your ball is on the wrong side of one of the more than 80 well-placed bunkers at Hudson National. Harvey says remember to organize your goals — get out of trouble first, put the ball in the hole second.

That said, grip down on your highest-lofted wedge and step into your stance with the ball centered between your feet. With a downhill lie in the sand, the key is setting up your body lines parallel with the slope. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all align with the tilt of the ground and you need to swing down the slope, too. If you set your body level or try to “lift” the ball out of the sand, Harvey says, you’ll skull the ball.

If you’re in a fairway bunker, odds are you’ll have enough trouble just clearing the high lip between you and the green, so think about going sideways back into the fairway instead.